


Be Still, My Beating Heart

by AishiteSubete



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Anxiety, Canon Compliant, F/M, Guilt, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, a lot changed yo, set three years after KH3, there will be Disney worlds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-14
Updated: 2019-03-06
Packaged: 2019-10-27 20:01:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,116
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17773340
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AishiteSubete/pseuds/AishiteSubete
Summary: [[Major KH3 Spoilers--if you haven't finished and don't want to be spoiled, please avoid this one!]]Three years after the defeat of Xehanort, Kairi is stuck in a "new normal" without Sora and Riku by her side. As she strives for the title of Keyblade Master alongside others, she realizes she has to deal with her personal demons in order to succeed. But allowing her heart to be her guiding key might take her in a direction she never necessarily anticipated.





	1. fuck

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, I'mma say it one more time:
> 
> THIS FIC CONTAINS KH3 SPOILERS.   
> Please don't read if you haven't finished or don't want to be spoiled. :)
> 
> In the same vein as Nomura's interview expressing how relationships, even those among characters in KH3, change overtime, this fic is about how character relationships change overtime after the events of KH3. A lot of it is based in my personal fan theory; it's still canon-compliant, but this is simply my take on how I think part of the story would progress. I hope it'll be an enjoyable read for everyone!

I never realized how much of a difference three years would make. 

Three years after the Second Keyblade War, I stood in the Land of Depature's great hall, front and center with the other wielders I fought alongside. We weren't the only ones in the room; there were maybe twenty or twenty-five others, all newcomers that have either started manifesting their weapons or were very eager to try. The grand hall had never been so vibrant before. Aqua and Terra presided over us from the front platform, the only two Keyblade masters to train a new legion of pupils. Well, there were more than two--actually, there were  _three_ Keyblade Masters who could, arguably four...

...but it had been years since any of us had heard from Sora and Riku.

As Aqua started addressing us and the crowd fell into silence, I couldn't help but tune her out and focus on the one thing encasing my mind: the past. I had shared the paopu fruit with Sora before the battle. He was supposed to be a part of my life, no matter what, from that point on...but once we had made it back to the Islands, ready to relax and spend time with our friends, he disappeared from my grasp, like fractals spinning off into the sunlight. I haven't seen him since. 

Sora's disappearance had an impact on everyone, and it was immediately evident. We called an emergency meeting at Master Yen Sid's tower to discuss what happened to him and what our options were. I was certain Mickey and Yen Sid knew more than they let on, even though they explained to us their theory: Sora had most likely tapped into a similar variant of time travel that Young Xehanort used to return to the past and prevent me from dying. No one in the room looked at me when this was brought up, and I could only assume they all blamed his disappearance on me. I wouldn't have blamed them if they did. 

The meeting revealed a few more secrets--all of which were surprising, and all of which were focused around one, particular girl. Namine. When Master Yen Sid motioned for her to speak her piece, she opened it with an explanation. She had never been my Nobody at all; Namine was her own person, the Princess of Light that came before me. She explained her past to us with some degree of detail. She was under the guardianship of Ansem the Wise; despite not having many memories, she recalled seeing him as a father figure until his experiments on the heart prompted him to use  _her_ as a test subject. She had befriended Lea and Isa when they would sneak into the castle, and was the girl they had both been searching for. It was touching to see their reunion, but it was peculiar to know that I wasn't her Other, I was her vessel. 

It wasn't until after that meeting that Terra, Aqua, and Ventus returned to the Land of Departure to restore it to its former glory; a year later, they had laid all the groundwork for a Keyblade Academy, and even brought back a familiar, not-so-nice face as a redeemed ally: Vanitas. He looked so much like Sora. I often caught myself staring at Vanitas, hoping so intensely I could pretend I was looking at Sora instead; I never could. It was difficult to keep my emotions from rising to the surface, but it must have been harder for Riku. He left the next day, without saying a word; it's been a year, and he hasn't returned. 

I looked up as Aqua was making her closing remarks, the words "may your heart be your guiding key" echoing through the foyer. As she and Terra descended the steps onto the floor, they urged everyone to mingle and get to know each other. It was the largest group of Keyblade students that had been assembled in quite a long time, after all. But my heart  _was_ my guiding key, and it guided me straight from the hall and into the dormitories we lived in. It was so hard for my light and personality to shine brightly without Sora around to make me smile. 

When I shoved my key into the lock and gave it a twist, I heard two doors open instead of just mine. Panicked, I looked up to see Lea unlocking the door to his own room. He gave me a lazy smile as he put one foot across the threshold. "Not in a  _socializing_ mood, Princess?"

"No, not really," I said dully, walking into my room and closing the door behind me. I heard him dumbly stutter out "A-alright, guess I'll see you in training then" as I sank down against my door. I knew I shouldn't have been so curt with him--clearly he was just trying to make small talk and see if I was alright. Just because he spent more time hanging out with Roxas and Xion than he did with me didn't nullify our friendship or anything...

I sighed and pulled myself off the floor, only to go flop down on my bed. Morning would be here soon enough, and then it would be just another day back on my grind.

* * *

 

The class of Keyblade wielders I was in didn't have a name.

We functioned like a normal school, as far as grade levels went. We had first-year Keybearers, second-year Keybearers; eventually, there would be third and fourth years as well, maybe even fifth and sixth years, depending on how many individuals we found to train. As far as  _my_ class went, though, we didn't have a name. We were simply the ones who fought a war (some of us with minimal training) and made it back to tell the tale.

There were eight of us, including myself: Roxas, Xion, Axel, Namine, Isa, Ventus, Vanitas. I never wanted to train alongside Vanitas, I had never expected Namine and Isa to materialize Keyblades, and I had assumed Ventus would have been a Master by now. Everyone was joking around, goofing off, having fun; I wasn't. I stood away from everyone, hesitant to join in with their horseplay. It all reminded me of Sora and Riku. Despite the fact I have lived with only the shadows of their memories, it was different this time. 

"So the first thing we're going to address," Aqua started, walking into the room and causing everyone to fall silent, "is your primary project for this educational year." She sat cross-legged on one of the benches, looking up at all of us standing in front of her. Everyone looked like they wanted to burst out in chatter at the excitement of a project. "As the highest caliber of Keyblade wielders," she continued, "it is going to be your jobs to go out in groups of three and find new, strong hearts that have the potential to use a Keyblade. You're more than welcome to pass on your power to individuals you may meet along the way that you deem fit."

At that, everyone began talking at once. 

"I finally get to explore other worlds? That's so exciting!" Namine gasped. 

"Trust me, it isn't that great with Heartless attacking you every five seconds," Xion retorted, shuddering. 

"I wanna be on Vanny's team!" Ventus said with enthusiasm, gripping onto his Other's (or was he a brother? I wasn't sure) arm excitedly. 

"No one will be picking their own teams," Aqua sighed loudly, as though getting everyone to silence one more time was particularly tiresome. "Master Yen Sid decided team compositions for you. He picked individuals he believes will work well together based on skill, fighting style, and level of experience." 

"So what are our teams?" Roxas piped up, looking at Aqua anxiously. He was like a kid in a candy store, or an excited puppy; I couldn't choose which. "C'moooon Aqua, I wanna know!"

Aqua sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose as though she wanted to tell Roxas that she would tell him if he was a bit more quiet. "Our first team..." Aqua said slowly and deliberately, relief washing over her face as the gaggle of unruly teens began to get quieter. "...will be Roxas, Xion, and Ventus. Yen Sid has emphasized that the three of you make an excellent team due to your similar, yet different, fighting styles. Most of you guys are attack based, so he recommends the three of you alternate between the following roles: bruiser, magician, and defender. Once I've called your teams, go stand off somewhere with them until we begin our training drill."

Roxas, Xion, and Ventus giddily jumped up and down, the three of them rushing off to a corner of the field, muttering about team names and mascots. I heard Ventus suggest they call themselves "The Sora Squad," and I cringed when they started to overflow with giggles. I would have much rather had Sora himself there than all of them combined, despite how callous of a thing that is to say. "Team Two will be comprised of myself, Namine, and Isa. Master Yen Sid wants to keep you two on a similar playing field as everyone else, but these missions to other worlds might be too much for the two of you to handle on your own. I will be tagging along to be the defender in your group; Namine, you will be focused on magic, and Isa, you will be focused on attack."

The two smiled at each other, holding each others' hands as they walked off towards another corner of the courtyard, whispering excitedly between each other. I wished it was Sora and I holding hands and jabbering away about how  _exciting_ it would be to travel the worlds looking for more strong hearts of light. As I watched them walk, I froze; there were only eight of us in this class. If five of them had already been assigned to teams...I looked around at who was left standing. Oh no...

"And Team Three, you should all be able to use deductive reasoning to know who you are," Aqua finished. "Kairi, Lea, and Vanitas. Lea and Vanitas, Master Yen Sid wants you two to alternate between fulfilling heavy hitting and defense roles so Kairi can start to focus on honing her latent magical ability."

"Latent magical ability?" It was the first thing anyone had heard me say that day, and I said it with an eyebrow raised and my arms crossed. "I didn't think I  _had_ any magical ability."

Aqua very nearly gawked at me. "You're a Princess of Heart," she explained. "You have  _quite_ powerful magic ability that you need to be able to tap into. It's going to become your greatest asset, both in combat and even in your every day life."

"Yes, Master Aqua," I nodded respectfully, walking off to follow Lea and Vanitas to the back center of the training courtyard. Out of all the individuals I had to get stuck with, Lea was one that I didn't mind so much; we had spent a lot of time together in a timeless dimension of Merlin's creation to train for the Keyblade war, even though we didn't do much other than sit around and watch the sunset together. Vanitas, though...I minded being around him. In fact, I had half a mind to tell Aqua to switch me out with Isa, just so I could be on a team with someone who didn't have any relation to Sora at all. How was I going to train with Vanitas every day? How was I going to fight the waves of sickness that rolled over me every time I wished he was actually Sora? How could I get used to this?

_Fuck._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is going to have a switching in points of view!
> 
> For the entirety of this work, anything written in FIRST PERSON is indicative of Kairi talking, and her experience.  
> Any perspectives for other characters will be done in THIRD PERSON.
> 
> This is predominantly a story about Kairi, but some things happen outside of her experience that are relevant to the story for you readers. :)

We had been training with our assigned trios for six weeks and I couldn't decide what the worst thing about it was.

I had wanted to work more closely with Master Aqua, especially after I learned she had placed a protection spell on me as a small child. When she stated I had inherent magical abilities, I had hoped she would end up being my mentor. Unfortunately, she spent the majority of our lessons working with Isa and Namine. It was understandable; they had only recently summoned their weapons, and even more recently discovered how to change their forms. Terra oversaw both my trio and the trio of Roxas, Xion, and Ventus. He spent more time drilling that group due to his personal bias towards Ventus, and I often found myself sitting off to the side, writing letters to ~~Sora~~ no one as Vanitas and Lea sparred. 

_"We've always shared one sky, one destiny  
_

_But that sky is always changing, always morphing_

_But we never need to worry;_

_We're a part of each others' lives, no matter what."_

I wasn't going to send it.

It pained me, honestly; nearly brought me to tears to write those words, to acknowledge the bond between Sora and I, yet being unsure if it still remained true. It had been so long since I had seen him...he had always come back, or I had always found him. But he hadn't come back, and Riku hadn't returned from looking for him...

A shadow loomed over me, and I looked up into a mass of fluffy, spiky black hair and a very familiar shape of eyes--a shape of eyes that were the wrong color. It was Vanitas, reading the letter over my shoulder. I jumped, startled, covering the words on the paper in a way that was almost embarrassed; my heart had skipped a beat in the split second I looked in his eyes and thought  _Sora?_ "What's the matter, Princess?" I immediately scowled; he had taken to calling me Lea's pet name, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it. No one else ever called me that, and perhaps it was silly to think it a name that  _only_ Lea would call me. "You look pretty down."

"I'm fine," I responded, closing my notebook defensively. Lea trotted up to us only a couple of seconds later, his eyes narrowed in such a way that only I could notice, due to how long I had been around him. "I promise, Vanitas." I had to say his name to cement the thought in my mind--he only  _looked_ like Sora, he wasn't actually him. 

"Writing again?" Lea chirped, almost as though he could tell that I was uncomfortable talking to Vanitas one-on-one; leave it to the closest thing I had to a "best friend" anymore to pick up on it. "You sure have been doing that a lot lately...have you skipped from letters and moved on to books?"

"Letters? To Sora?"

I spluttered out nonsense, stunned and almost offended that Vanitas had picked up on them so quickly. "What is it with you and Sora? And Riku? They're the only two Guardians of Light I haven't seen since I've returned, and you don't really get out much."

I felt almost indignant that Vanitas commented on my social seclusion, and indignant towards Lea for letting it drop that I wrote letters. Of  _course_ Vanitas would have figured it out right away, he  _was_ somehow connected to Sora in some weird way; I found it hard to understand, though. Hearts had been jumping in and out of bodies for the last five or six years, so at points it became difficult to tell who was who and who was connected to who. "I don't wanna talk about it, Vanitas, I'm sorry..." I said, quietly standing and moving to leave the training ground.

I shouldn't have expected to have such an easy time leaving class, though.

"Kairi!" Terra barked at me as I started to put a little distance between myself and the class. He had stopped the drill he was running with the other trio, and Aqua had stopped her drill to observe how Terra would handle things. "Get back over here!"

I scoffed, so quietly I knew Terra wouldn't be able to hear it, and skulked back towards the training area. Naturally it wouldn't be that easy. I couldn't think about training anymore--all I could think about was Sora, all the words I wanted to say, all the apologies I wanted to give for being the reason he was lost somewhere out there. Master Terra waved me over, and I continued walking until I was standing face-to-face with him. "So, why do you think you should be ditching class."

"I'm sorry, Master Terra," I began, bowing my head low in apology. "It's just that I can't focus on anything," I admitted as I looked up, shifting my eyes over to Vanitas; I was sure he noticed that. There was silence for a few seconds, and then a clean  _swish_ sound as I jumped to narrowly avoid Terra's summoned Keyblade; mine appeared in my hand only seconds later. 

"At least your reflexes saved you," Terra said, remaining in a fighting stance as he spoke to me. I could see Aqua in the background waving some of the other Keyblade wielders to sit off to the side and observe; this was probably some training lesson or drill they had planned to conduct in case one of us decided to leave. "If you can't focus, then you're toast in battle, Kairi. Need I remind you of your shortcomings in the war?"

I flinched when he said that, tightening my Keyblade in my hand; leave it to the former Xehanort vessel, the aspiring Master that succumbed to darkness to take such low blow shots. It filled my heart with a painful fury, a feeling so intense that I could understand why hearts became corrupted. Despite that, I was not ashamed to admit that Master Terra had hit a nerve. "I am  _more_ than I was in the war!" With a half-cry, I charged at Terra, engaging in a ferocious clash of blade on blade; our feet slid and drifted across the ground as we blocked and parried each others' movements. It felt cathartic, it felt like a release, and with each contraction of my muscles as my Keyblade came in contact with Terra's, I found myself inclined to push even harder. 

As I blocked an attack he had aimed towards my ribs I felt my grip on the Keyblade loosen; just as I began to panic, the handle of his Keyblade forced its way down on my hand, knocking mine on the ground and ten feet away from me. He started to raise his Keyblade, as though he was about to land a finish blow, and despite knowing that my life  _wasn't_ in an immediate danger, I felt my heart clench with a newfound strength of itself. I closed my eyes and held my hands out--one towards Terra's blade, and the other towards my Keyblade. My eyes were closed, the words " _not like this_!" on my lips, as I felt the coiling strength in my body release. Leaving one hand stationary, I flicked my other wrist and decided to open my eyes to see what had happened. 

It was exactly the way I had envisioned--exactly what I had wanted to do had happened. 

In front of me was a barrier--the magic shield I had watched Aqua use more than once in the war and more than once after that. It wasn't a perfect dome, like hers, but just enough that it would have shielded me if Terra had the opportunity to land his blow. My Keyblade took care of that issue for me; I had unlocked its formchange--a whip, braided with waves, flowers, and seashells--and wrapped it around both the grip of Terra's weapon and his wrist. I stood, pulling Terra towards me with all of my force, planning to pivot the grip on my whip to land a blow directly to his sternum. As he moved towards me, he relinquished his Keyblade, using both of his hands to grab my wrists as I was unsettled by the sudden change in force. 

I didn't move after that; I simply assumed it was the end of our brief, albeit intense, skirmish. Master Terra smiled at me, his face beaming with approval. "Very good work, Kairi," he said with a smile. "I was not expecting you to bust out any magic so suddenly!" Aqua was behind him, beaming with a mixture of what looked like pride and guilt; pride for my accomplishment, and guilt for having not been the one to teach it to me. "And that Keyblade formchange? You've been holding out on us!"

He was right. I had discovered my Keyblade's formchange not long after the war, in a moment where I practiced my skills on my own in hopes that I could become strong enough to make a difference. I was excited about it, don't get me wrong--but the only two people I had cared to tell were Sora and Riku, neither of whom were present for me to inform. Vanitas and Lea ran up to me first, both looking impressed and excited. "That was cool as shit, Kairi!" Vanitas said, almost like a small excited puppy; his yellow eyes gleamed when he looked at me, and for a split second he looked so sweet and innocuous I almost vomited. When I ever so slightly lurched and the corners of my eyes creased, Lea and Terra looked at me curiously. 

"I can't say that your focus isn't there," Terra began, placing a hand on my shoulder, "but I can tell that something is weighing on you. I can dismiss you from training this one time--and only because you impressed me with the skill you've been keeping under wraps. I recommend you head to the temple, it always provides answers." I didn't really have any of intentions of going there when I nodded at him, thanking him for his kindness and taking my leave.

* * *

Terra turned to Lea and Vanitas as Kairi walked into the shadows, looking at them with a slightly disapproving frown. "So tell me more about your unit," Terra said, waving for the two of them to follow him on what everyone had started to call a "walk and talk." The two students walked with their Master between them down the winding cobblestone paths that surrounded the cliffs of the Land of Departure. "What are your strengths, what are your weaknesses?"

Before either of the boys could open their mouths to speak, Terra spoke up instead. "Actually, I can illuminate some of them for you. You have no sense of teamwork."

"Kind of hard to have that when Kairi won't talk to us, let alone let us know what she's capable of doing in and out of combat," Vanitas huffed, folding his arms across his chest as though he was indignant his teamwork had been criticized. "She just sits there and watches us train, and every time I try to talk to her she looks at me like she's seen a ghost..."

Terra made a sudden noise of understanding, looking only slightly grim. "Of course..." he shook his head sadly. "Perhaps this is because of my failure as a Master, but Kairi has a lot on her shoulders."

"Well what  _is_ on her shoulders?" Vanitas asked, throwing his hands in the air with exasperation.

"Don't you get it, dumbass?" Lea snapped, almost as though he was angry at the boy for not noticing. "Kairi fucking  _died_ , she died and Sora, the man she was madly in love with, sacrificed himself to bring her back--and she has to look at  _you_ every day and  _you_ look just like Sora!" 

Vanitas looked as though he had been slapped. His eyes darted between a steaming Lea and a stoic Terra, hoping for any sort of conversation. When there was none, he resigned himself to the silence, looking to the ground and thinking, thinking,  _thinking._ He was still new at the whole trying-to-be-good thing, but with a little light in his heart, he felt the desire to do something to fix it, to  _help_ Kairi. "I can fix this!" Vanitas said excitedly. "I-I can fix this!" He ran off from the conversation, in the direction of the dorms. Lea gave him a little credit for that; at least he knew her well enough to know she wouldn't have actually gone to the temple. 

Terra then turned his eyes to Lea. "I'm sure the ending of this war has been confusing for you, as well; you don't like Vanitas."

"Not not, not ever," Lea said bitterly, looking off to the side. "Every time Kairi looks at him, the pain seeps into every micro-expression on her face; she's too sweet, she doesn't deserve that."

"Then talk to her," Terra suggested. "Listen to her fears; build her up; support her. That's what Vanitas is going to do right now. That's what it means to be part of a team," he said. "That's what Aqua and Ventus and I do for each other--it's what the three of you guys should do for each other as well."

Lea didn't respond; instead, he clenched his fists and looked into the sunset, wondering why he had ever stopped doing those things for her in the first place. 

 


	3. princess

Vanitas knew he wouldnt find Kairi at the temple Terra had suggested she visit. He hadn't known Kairi for very long, but he was an observant person. For some reason, one he was certain was related to his connection with Sora, he paid a bit more attention to Kairi than he did to most others. When she found herself stressed, she often made her way to the courtyard fountains, where she walked in the shallow waters and shifted her Keyblade between form changes. He knew she would be there. 

She was there, as predicted, moving herself through attack forms in a single, fluid pace, as though her Keyblade would simply cut through the imaginary enemies like butter. Vanitas's pace slowed down, just so he could watch her practice. He felt overwhelmed by a swell of emotion that he had never recalled feeling before. Kairi intimidated him, yet he couldn't help but feel both proud and protective over her; he could only assume it was because of his damn connection with Sora.”Vanitas?” He had spaced out, watching the motions of her weapon, and she was now stationary and looking at him curiously. Her neutral expression slowly shifted into a scowl. “What do you want, why did you look for me?” 

Vanitas was almost put off at the Princess's tone; so just because she could swing a Keyblade, she thought she could start having that attitude? He scoffed. “Shit, sunshine,” he started, crossing his arms and donning a scowl equal to hers. “Scouring the worlds with you doesn't seem like much fun if you're gonna be such a sourpuss.” 

Kairi seemed almost hostile. “It never seemed like fun to begin with,” she grimaced, starting back into her Keyblade forms with a fury. 

“Why do you hate me so much?” Kairi glared at him as get blade whipped through the air and he swallowed; what a dumb thing to say. “I mean I know you could, actually… most likely...rattle off a list of reasons you hate me…” Kairi had stopped her forms and was walking closer to Vanitas, her eyes aglow with rage he had only seen in those about to become powerful heartless--but there was nothing but light in her heart, so it was more like unbridled, just fury.

The redhead stood inches from him, and Vanitas was stuck between fight or flight; he was frozen in place, too surprised by the entire interaction. “Do you want to know why I hate you, Vanitas?” He hadn’t expected her voice to tremble; he had expected it to be filled with fury, anger, the same negativity he used to thrive on. He didn’t expect her eyes to squint and her voice to ghost out when she said, “I hate you because you look just like Sora.”

Her Keyblade shifted back into his standard form as he watched her walk off, letting her words sink in.

* * *

Everyone in my class did nothing but chatter about today’s “lesson.” It wasn’t a lesson at all, really, and climbing the winding stairs up Master Yen Sid’s tower was a dead giveaway. It was the day we would learn what our first-ever sanctioned missions were. Roxas, Xion, and Ventus muttered amongst themselves of places they’d been and places they wanted to visit, and Isa filled Namine’s head with story after story of what he had seen when he worked for the Organization.

I had never seen many other worlds, and certainly none of the wondrous sights and experiences they had. I had seen Traverse Town; I had seen the ruins of my home, known as Hollow Bastion. I had been quickly rushed through Twilight Town, then the ominous Organization XIII stronghold, then to a timeless dimension where I could learn to use a weapon I never knew I could materialize. Visiting worlds had lost its allure to me when all I had experienced from it was loss, sorrow, and pain. 

We filed in a line before Master Yen Sid, who sat behind his desk with a worn, leather-bound book in front of him; the ink on the parchment looked fresh, as though he had just made his final decisions on what everyone would be doing. “Ah, young pupils,” he said, eyes gazing over us all, “you are doing tremendously well in your studies. The universe has not seen the likes and numbers of this many Keyblade wielders in quite a while. Despite this, though, there is still much work to be done--and not enough Masters to do this work.”

The words made my chest ache, and I caught Vanitas looking at me from the corner of his eye as I brought my hand to my heart. 

“We may only be able to utilize three Masters,” he continued, “but we do have eight strong, accomplished wielders in their own rights. To help you prepare for your Mark of Mastery exams, each of your trios will be given a set list of missions that pertain to the safety of balance.”

I could feel the other people in the room start to stiffen at the mention of “safety of balance,” as though it reminded them of the surge of darkness that had tormented them through the years. It gave me nothing but apathy; my heart had wandered aimlessly, had sought refuge in the heart of another, had been shattered completely and left nothing but my bare soul. I didn’t flinch at the thought. 

“We’ll start with the Twilight Trio--the trio comprised of Roxas, Ventus, and Xion,” Master Yen Sid began, “will be traveling the worlds with this goal: find and locate the lost members of Organization XIII.”

"What??" Roxas and Xion shouted in unison, while Ventus’s lips seemed to tug in the slightest of smiles. “But they tried to kill us! They were seekers of darkness? They got 'NORTED for fuck’s sake!” Roxas continued, exasperated.

Yen Sid chuckled, his shoulders only slightly bouncing. “They are in need of a bright and powerful light, just as all of you have been before,” he chastised. “You’ll be searching for Luxord, Marluxia, and Larxene. The former were once known as Lauriam and Elrena, respectively.”

The trio seemed to grumble over their choice of mission--clearly they had been looking for something more exciting than trying to redeem lost enemies. But they were all connected to Sora, so I knew they were going to succeed--after all, who could 

find themselves basking in the redemption his light offered? 

“Team Dusk,” Yen Sid continued anew, “comprised of Kairi, Lea, and Vanitas, will be taking on a quite important mission. The three of you will be searching for the remaining three Princesses of Heart to ensure their protection; we currently have Rapunzel, Elsa, and Anna in residency here, but it is important the others are offered the same protection and opportunity to learn to summon their Keyblades.” 

My heart skipped a beat when he mentioned that our task was about the Princesses of Heart--yes! Something I was familiar with, something I could use to prove that I was MORE t han I was before! I grinned, looking at both Lea and Vanitas, who were (understandably) surprised to see a smile on my face. 

“Team Dawn, Isa, Namine, and Aqua, will be responsible for attempting to find the black box and whoever has it in their possession. Should he be found, your first course of action should be immediate execution.” 

Well, that declaration killed the mood. I watched the three of them nod slowly and inquisitively, and silence continued across the tower. “Your gummi ships are prepped and ready,” Master Yen Sid continued. “You are required to check in with Chip and Dale via Gummiphone once a day, and after three days in a world you are required to return to the Land of Departure.”

“Yes, sir!” The nine of us said in unison, saluting him as we would a commander. He nodded, granting us permission to exit, and we filed out the door, everyone anxiously discussing missions. 

 

* * *

 

“So...exactly...where are we going?” Vanitas had already begun chirping in my ear the moment I sat in the pilot’s seat of the gummi ship. “Are you sure you have a license to drive one of these? I mean, you’re really tiny, I bet you probably can’t even turn the--”

“Oh, just knock it off and let her read the fucking map,” Axel cursed at him, grabbing him by the back of his collar and pulling him to his seat.

“Well that’s just the problem,” I began, shuffling through the papers I had grabbed from the mission file in the gummi hangar with increasing anxiety. “I keep looking through these pages over and over…and I can’t find a map.”

Vanitas let out a petty, sarcastic laugh, slumping down far into his chair. “I knew she didn’t know how to fly one of these things,” he jested, as though his comments were funny to more than just himself. “I mean seriously, she hasn’t been able to do much of anything at this point--”

“Just shut up already!” Lea emphasized, jumping out of his seat, ready to punch the “redeemed” vessel of darkness.

“I’m a Princess of Heart, guys,” I said slowly and clearly, rising from my seat. My Keyblade formed in my right hand, light particles glimmering around it as I pointed it forward. “My heart can tell us where to go--I’m pretty sure that’s what Sora did, at least, that’s what he would tell me…” I looked downward, nearly falling into a rabbit hole of grief and mourning; no. Not now. I exhaled deeply and looked forward, letting the light in my heart shine bright until my Keyblade glowed as well, twisting the very fabric of time and space to allow us passage to uncharted territory.

“But…” I began as I lowered my Keyblade, looking at the portal than back to my teammates. “I really don’t know how to fly this thing.”

I watched as Lea’s eye twitched as he he stomped towards the controls, Vanitas laughing hysterically as I moved to stand beside him. We watched as Lea filled with buttons and levers and switches--and suddenly, the gummi ship began to shake, and we launched forward rapidly into the portal I had created. 

* * *

I felt the sand against my cheek and the waves lapping at my feet as I slowly regained consciousness. Slowly, I sat up, and looked around; no, this was  _not_ the Destiny Islands--there were too many trees, not enough buildings, not enough people milling around and goofing off. 

When I stood, I felt the sea breeze against the skin of my abdomen and looked down to find my clothing had changed; a pink, bandau top and a skirt made of hemp fabric and palm fibers. 

_Gotta maintain the world order_ , I mused, brushing the sand off of me. Lea and Vanitas were nowhere to be found. 

I walked a couple of paces, looking out at the sunset over the water; on the wind, I heard the whisper of a melody. “ _You are your father's daughter, stubbornness and pride. Mind what he says, but remember, you may hear a voice inside. And if that voice starts to whisper to follow the farthest star...Moana, that voice inside is who you are..."_

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Disney worlds!


End file.
